When watch collectors discuss Zenith chronographs, conversations tend to veer towards comparisons with the Rolex Daytona, despite the partnership between the two brands ending over 25 years ago. But if you dig into Zenith a little bit further, there is far more to this Swiss brand than meets the eye. Let’s look back at their history, and take a look at the brand’s current collections.The History of Zenith: How the Brand BeganZenith was founded in Le Locle, Switzerland in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot when he was a mere 22 years old. The brand was conceived as the world’s first vertically integrated watch manufacturer, which means that all the parts for the watch would be manufactured under one massive roof. This was in stark contrast to the traditional method of individual workshops specializing in different parts that would then be assembled under a single brand’s emblem.Zenith’s new complex, covering 17,000 square meters, connected the workshops to the train station of Le Locle for a direct supply of raw materials for production. This new approach, inspired by American industrialism and Henry Ford’s assembly line ideas, would solve many logistical problems, including quality control issues and transportation costs associated with importing various parts from various places. It also allowed managers to keep a keen eye on all stages of production and make any necessary changes very quickly.